The Relational and the Analytic: Inquiring into Practice

Saturday 13th February 2016, 10:00am – 4:00pm

The Institute of Group Analysis

1 Daleham Gardens, London, NW3 5BY

Speaker & Convenor:
Dr Farhad Dalal

The ‘analytic’ and the ‘relational’ are often positioned as two distinct paradigms. The ‘analytic’ emphasising detachment and objectivity, and the ‘relational’ emphasising involvement and the intersubjectivity. Broadly, the analytic streams prevail within Europe and the relational streams in the USA. S.H. Foulkes’ dual notions of group analyst and group conductor speak to each of these. This raises questions about whether the distinction is one of ‘kind’ or of ‘degree’.

This lecture and workshop will be of interest to group analysts and practitioners of all modalities who are interested to examine and reflect on their evolving practice within this frame.

The lecture will detail the key principles of each of these paradigms and some of the controversies surrounding them. Farhad Dalal will speak about his evolving practice and why he came to be preoccupied by this distinction. He will raise questions about the role of supervision, and suggest that whilst its overt function is to deepen clinical understanding, it also tacitly functions as a policing activity. He will suggest that because of this, there is a widening gap between the way that psychotherapy is practised in private and the way it is spoken of in public.

The workshop element will consist of small and large group discussions focussed around these themes.

Dr. Farhad Dalal is a group analyst and psychotherapist in private practice. He also works with organizations. In his first book Taking the Group Seriously, he argues against individualism and for the relational nature of human life. In his second book, Race, Colour and the Processes of Racialization he focuses on the causes of the hatred of Others in general and racism in particular. His most recent book Thought Paralysis The Virtues of Discrimination, is a constructive critique of the Equality movements.